ORONO, Maine – The 13th-ranked Vermont women's hockey team scored six unanswered goals highlighted by
Natálie Mlýnková's first career hat trick in a 6-1 Hockey East win over Maine from Alfond Arena Friday evening. With the win, Vermont is now 6-4-1 on the campaign and 4-2-1 in league play.
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Box Score
COACH'S QUOTE
"It was good to get a big win tonight and
Natálie Mlýnková had one of the best games of her career," Head Coach
Jim Plumer said. " It's still a problem to be giving up a goal early in the game and we are capable of playing much better team defense. It's good to score goals but we want to play complete games at both ends of the ice. I'm sure Maine will rebound and tomorrow will be a battle."
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Black Bears opened the scoring just 38 seconds into the contest. Elise Morphy cut down from the wing and fired a seemingly harmless backhander towards the UVM net, it deflected of two players in front and beat Jessie McPherson for Morphy's first goal of the season.
- The Catamounts tied things up with 12:29 to go in the first period. Evelyne Blais-Savoie scored her fourth goal of the season with a wraparound effort. Blais-Savoie fanned on an initial shot at the doorstep but took the puck around the net and beat Maine's Jorden Mattison to the post.
- Theresa Schafzahl gave the Catamounts the lead with 6:57 left in the first period. Corinne McCool found her alone on the doorstep with a great cross-ice feed and Schafzahl stashed it home past a diving Mattison.
- The Catamounts top line struck again with Mlýnková's fifth goal of the season. With 3:52 left in the first McCool found Mlýnková in transition on a three-on-three rush. Mlýnková roofed a shot in close on Mattison to make it 3-1 after 20 minutes. Krista Parkkonen earned the secondary assist on the goal.
- Mlýnková made it 4-1 6:08 into the second frame with a great individual effort. Mlýnková stole the puck from a Maine defender at the UVM blue line and skated in alone in transition. She rifled a shot under the bar and past Mattison for her second of the game.
- Hailey Burns made it 5-1 minutes later. Blais-Savoie won an offensive zone faceoff back to Burns and she one-timed a shot past Mattison for her second goal of the season.
- Mlýnková completed her hat trick early in the third period with a shorthanded tally. Tynka Pátková cleared a rebound to Mlýnková and she carried the puck through the neutral zone setting up a one-on-one with a Maine defender. Mlýnková cut to the middle and as she skated to her left she fired a shot to her right that found the top corner.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Vermont has now won four straight overall against the Black Bears. In addition, the Catamounts have won their last five games at Alfond Arena.
- Over the last two seasons Vermont has scored five shorthanded goals, Natálie Mlýnková has three of those.
- After tonight Vermont is ninth in the NCAA with 36 goals this season. UVM is averaging 3.3 goals per game this year.
- Dating back to last season Vermont has scored five or more goals in seven of its last 26 games.
- With tonight's 6-1 win, Community Bank N.A. will donate $450 to Special Olympics Vermont. Community Bank, N.A. donates $75 per goal to Special Olympics Vermont for every goal the men's and women's team scores this season.
- With today's win, Vermont Mutual Insurance Group will donate $100 to COTS, the Committee on Temporary Shelter, as part of the Cats Win, Community Wins initiative. Since the campaigns inauguration in 2017, Vermont Mutual Insurance Group has donated over $72,000 to local non-profits.
UP NEXT
Vermont and Maine are back at it tomorrow afternoon for a 2 p.m. faceoff from Alfond Arena
Saturday's action like all conference games will air on ESPN+. The games will also be available on a pay-per-view basis internationally at https://portal.stretchinternet.com/hockeyeast. Subscriptions to the service are available for $9.99 USD per month or $4.99 USD for individual games.
The Windjammer Inn and Conference Center is the presenting sponsor of the UVM women's hockey program
